Two young sisters, Lauri Azucena Pimental Argueta, age seven, and Anllely Daniela Pimental Argueta, age eight, tragically lost their lives on July 21, 2025, after drowning in a water-filled septic tank pit under construction in Bella Vista Village, Toledo District, Belize.
The sisters had left their home around 4 p.m. to visit their grandmother, but deviated from their usual route. Their path led them to a construction site where a septic tank pit, filled with rainwater, was left uncovered.
Their mother, Delmy Argueta, became concerned when they did not arrive and contacted family members to initiate a search, leading to the discovery of the tragic incident.
The girls’ bicycles were found hidden near a house close to the pit. Their grandmother, Ligia Contreras, noticed one of the girls’ slippers by the water’s edge.
Contreras discovered the children’s location by probing the pit with a stick, eventually touching one of the girls. She emphasized that they had never engaged in such actions before and likely entered the pit without understanding the danger.
Village Chairman Jose Morales gathered accounts from the parents to understand the situation. He shared that the younger sister, seeing the water-filled pit as a pool, removed her clothes and entered.
“When the bigger one saw that the younger one was drowning, she tried to rescue her, and she also drowned along with her sister,” Morales told reporters.
The family arrived at the site around 5 p.m. Argueta entered the pit, which was deep enough to submerge her completely, in an attempt to save her daughters. “I tried everything I could to get them back, but it was already too late,” she stated.
Both girls were transported to a clinic, but medical professionals were unable to revive them. An investigation by the police is now underway.
Their father, Selvin Pimentel, who had intended to work that day, instead found himself preparing graves for his daughters.
Pimentel urged caution from anyone involved in digging pits or holes, attributing his daughters’ deaths to negligence in safety measures.
He recounted how his older daughter perished while attempting to save her younger sibling and urged everyone in Belize to ensure such open pits are covered to prevent children from mistaking them for shallow swimming spots.
Following the incident, the property owner offered four steel bars to the family. Pimentel refused, questioning the value of metal against the loss of his daughters.
Chairman Morales noted that incomplete construction projects often lead to hazards, as septic tanks started in the dry season are left unfinished when rains arrive, filling them with water and rendering them dangerous.
The village plans to convene public discussions regarding construction safety, addressing the need for improved measures to prevent similar incidents.
Bella Vista Village, with a population of approximately 3,500, is located about 10 miles from Independence and 50 miles north of Punta Gorda.
These mark the second and third child fatalities in water-related incidents in Belize since the previous Saturday.